At My Most Beautiful
by sunsetkiss
Summary: When Summer's feeling down, who will pick her back up?Rated M for later on
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The familiar crunch of the sand between her toes that was now splattered with her tears. The waves crashed against the shore as she sat there watching. The stars provided Newport with a gentle blanket that put the town to sleep. Why couldn't it be as normal as it looked?

Everything had been building up to the events of this evening. Since Trey. Since Zach. Since the comic book. And since the prom. When she was growing up she dreamed of her prom and being crowned prom queen. She would dance with her date, the prom king and the night would be perfect. Expect he hadn't turned up. The king had deserted her for a comic book and the guy she loved had done the same.

She had stood there feeling alone for the first time in her life. Before she had been protected by a bubble of popularity that some how made you never feel alone. She realized now that none of them knew her, the real Summer Roberts, but there was always someone there to distract you and give you sympathy when you needed it.

She burst the bubble by picking him. She had taken the risk and held his hand proudly in the school. He had seen behind the boobs and looked at her.

And now it was if her world had crashed down at her knees. Nothing made sense, she was lost in a sea of confusion and tears. He had yelled and screamed. She had never seen him like that before. She ended up cowering away in a corner terrified that he might hurt her, which she knew was stupid.

She had always tried to look strong. Tears were for pathetic people. Her dad had told her that when her mum had walked out. She had asked him why he hadn't cried and he replied with that. She was 9 at the time and since then she had been convinced that it was a sign of weakness. And yet she was sitting her now, crying over Seth Cohen.

He had broken her heart twice now and this time she couldn't take him back. It seemed to hurt more every time he did it. He had blown it, lost his chance at whatever they could have become was gone forever.

She couldn't forgiven him for what he had done to her dream. Someone you love is supposed to fulfil your dreams, not shatter them into a million pieces. He had chosen Zach and the comic book over her. She understood George Lucas was a once in a lifetime chance but so was prom. He had yelled at her for being unsupportive of his dreams and she had backed down figuring that he was right. Looking back now she couldn't believe how stupid he had been.

With the Trey incident everything had fallen to pieces. Ryan and Marissa couldn't stand to be near each other which proved to be a problem with Seth and Summer. If Summer went round to the Cohens, Marissa would get angry for her being within a few feet of Ryan. Summer was convince that Marissa wanted to see him but was terrified of the reaction she would get from him if she did. Marissa now hated her and she was currently away with her parents trying to make the perfect family again.

With everything to do with his mum Seth would clam up. She had tired time after time to get him to talk to her about it. In the end she had said that she was there when he wanted to talk and he had snapped at her. He had said that that would never happen as she would never understand how he felt. This had driven her to the point of despair.

Tonight was the culmination of months of snapping and fighting over stupid things. Things had changed every time something different happened. They had grown apart to the point where there was no going back. She just wished it didn't hurt so much.

She heard footsteps on the sand but she didn't bother turning to see who it was. It was probably Cohen coming to apologise but it wouldn't work this time. She had had enough. She had cried enough tears over him for a life time. He had had his second chance.

The footsteps became closer until they stopped and she knew the person was behind her. They bent down slowly and placed their hand on her shoulder.

"Go away a$$" She snapped as she moved her shoulder so their hand fell away

"Ok I'll go"

That wasn't Cohen, it was someone else. She turned her head and looked up at the figure behind her

"No don't go" She said calmly and they sat down beside her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"The unexpected friend"

She continued to look forward as the familiar figure sat down beside her. He wrapped a reassuring arm around her and she was surprised how comforted and calmed she felt.

They both sat there in silence thinking over everything that had happened and what it meant.

He had sat there in the pool house listening to it all. Trey had been the beginning of the end to the relationships that the four of them shared. Things like that change everything and it just so happened that this time it wasn't for the better. They had yelled at each other Summer holding her ground about the way Seth had treated her for months. She was right. He hadn't handled everything well, he had reacted in the typical self indulged Seth way and now he had lost Summer. Ryan really didn't want to take sides but he had watched Summer leave and he could see that she was hurting.

Summer finally turned to look at him and she looked straight into his eyes.

"It will be alright" He said, like everyone did in a bad situation.

"How will it be alright?" She snapped

He thought about it and shrugged his shoulders "I don't know it just felt like the right thing to say" He smiled at her

She laughed and wiped a tear from under her eye

"That's better" He noted as a smile flicked across her face and as quickly as it came, it was gone

For some reason Summer felt like she could confide in him. His arm was still wrapped around her and she needed someone to talk to. Coop had gone off the rails and no one else would really care

"I know I shouldn't have done it but I had had enough"

"Summer I am no expert on all this relationship stuff. You have seen the state of me and Marissa and I don't even know how I messed up this time" He smiled weakly "You're right something has happened to Seth. He has changed, but part of that is to be expected"

"I know but.."

Ryan cut across her "I am not saying its right what he is doing but for once he is messed up for a reason. Rather then just being Seth like it seems everything he has known for years is all confused and he doesn't know how to handle it"

Summer listened to what he had to say. "Wow Ryan Atwood talking" She joked

"Well I had something to say" He replied

"See now I just feel like I should stand by him and that I have let him down"

Ryan shook his head "What you did and said was right. I am not taking sides but you have done the best thing. You have saved the both of you saying something you would regret"

"But I regret this"

Ryan felt a little uncomfortable, like Summer things between him and Seth had changed as well. They didn't talk like they used to and sometimes it felt like Seth had forgotten his existence. He would be polite but that was all.

Summer could sense his unease "I'm sorry" She said simply holding back the tears

"For what?" He raised an eyebrow

"For getting you involved"

Ryan smiled at her and shook his head "You didn't" He breathed deeply "I came to talk to you"

"Yeh I know but..."

"No buts"

"I am sorry about Trey too"

They had never really talked about the Trey situation. Ryan had been quiet for a few days, more quiet then usual and then usual. At the funeral he hadn't cried but looked sad. Summer could see he needed comfort from Marissa but she wasn't there to give it to him. Neither was Kirsten. Over the last 2 years Summer had seen how much he respected her as a mother and her problems had taken a toll on him too.

At night Ryan would lay awake and he would cry. He had never cried before and he would never do it in front of people. In Chino crying was never seen, it showed you as weak and got you beaten up as well. He didn't understand the tears. He had never gotten on with Trey but he still loved him as a brother. But thanks to him he had lost Marissa and caused all the problems.

"Thanks" He looked away from her

"I have never lost someone like you but I know it must suck. I don't want to say the wrong thing. I am here if you need to talk."

That's all someone had needed to say for weeks, that they were there if he wanted to talk. He never would as he never let his guard down but everyone else had been preoccupied with their own problems. Sandy had Kirsten, Seth did have Summer and it seemed like he had no one. He was used to that from Chino but the reassurance that someone was there was enough to make him smile

"thanks" He smiled weakly at her


End file.
